still broke; sometimes knitting

Shark Week

As of 7:30 a.m. yesterday, my 14th semester of graduate school is finished! And for the first time since 2003, I’m looking forward to a summer without the crushing guilt and fun-killing drag of incomplete work. No catching up, no putting off, no worrying about making it good. It’s done.

I am very tired, but so very very happy.

Yesterday afternoon I pulled on a version of the outfit I’ve been wearing all week (water conservation is really just an excuse in this case), took myself down to my favorite coffee shop, and started swatching for the saddle shoulder aran. It was wonderful: I spent a couple of hours getting to know the yarn, testing out cables, drawing up charts, ripping and reknitting.

To be honest, I don’t really know what I’m doing: I’ve never attempted a project quite this complicated or freeform, but I’m enjoying the process. I tend towards the impatient; in this case, I’m trying very hard to appreciate the slowness of it all.

Only the first steps, but a relaxing afternoon with some wool was the perfect reward. Then I came home, bought some wine and ice cream sandwiches, and dove into my other deferred pleasure: finishing off season 1 of 30 Rock. It was perfect. I can’t believe I spent so many years not watching this show.

You know, I’ve never really watched Shark Week, but I can get behind the call to “live every week like it’s Shark Week.” I’m going to try to do that more.